American International Pictures
Independent studio that pioneered low-budget teen-oriented double features.
American International Pictures, LLC (AIP) was an independent film production and distribution company that operated from 1955 until 1980, after being acquired by Filmways in 1979. Founded as American Releasing Corporation in 1954 by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff, it specialized in low-budget double features aimed at teenagers. The company was revived in 2020 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a label for acquired films, and is now owned by Amazon MGM Studios.
Quick Facts
- Former names
- American Releasing Corporation (1954–1956)
- Fate
- Merged into Filmways (original)
- Successor
- Filmways Pictures (original)
- Founded
- 2 April 1954 (original); 7 October 2020 (relaunch; under the American International Pictures label)
- Defunct
- 4 August 1980 (original)
- Headquarters
- Culver City, California
- Country
- U.S.
- Industry
- Motion Pictures
Facts from the source article.
AIP personnel
At the top, Nicholson and Arkoff were executive producers, while Roger Corman and Alex Gordon handled most producing and sometimes directing. Charles B. Griffith wrote many early scripts, as did Lou Rusoff—Arkoff’s brother-in-law—who later produced his own written work. Other writers included Ray Russell, Richard Matheson, and Charles Beaumont. Floyd Crosby, an Oscar-winning cinematographer from High Noon, served as chief cameraman; his surreal color choices and unusual lenses gave the films their look. Paul Blaisdell built rubber monster suits and miniatures for sci-fi movies. Les Baxter and Ronald Stein scored many pictures. In the 1950s, the company kept John Ashley, Fay Spain, and Steve Terrell under contract.
Filmaking style
After early releases failed to profit, Arkoff learned from exhibitors that the teenage market was valuable because adults were watching television. AIP stopped making Westerns, as competing with television Westerns required color, big stars, and $2 million. The company pioneered the use of focus groups, polling American teenagers to determine titles, stars, and story content. AIP would ask exhibitors—who often provided 20% of financing—about a title's potential success, then have a writer create a script. The production sequence involved creating a title, commissioning an eye-catching poster from artist Albert Kallis (who supervised AIP artwork from 1955 to 1973), raising cash, and finally writing and casting the film. According to one publication, AIP operated on principles of keeping overheads low, using fading stars or up-and-coming names, hiring cheap directors, and following genre trends while abandoning them when audience interest waned. Arkoff later described his "ARKOFF formula" for successful low-budget movies: Action, Revolution, Killing, Oratory, Fantasy, and Fornication. The publicity department devised the "Peter Pan Syndrome" strategy: a younger child will watch anything an older child will watch; an older child will not watch anything a younger child will watch; a girl will watch anything a boy will watch; a boy will not watch anything a girl will watch; therefore, to reach the largest audience, target the 19-year-old male.
History
AIP began as American Releasing Corporation (ARC), formed in 1954 by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff. They sought to distribute Roger Corman's car chase film The Fast and the Furious (1955); ARC offered to advance money for Corman to make two more films, and the film performed well. ARC also distributed the Western Outlaw Treasure (1955). Corman directed a double bill of Apache Woman (1955) and Day the World Ended (1955), both written by Lou Rusoff; Apache Woman was produced by Alex Gordon, Day by Corman. Nicholson and Arkoff decided to make two low-budget films for a double feature rather than a single B movie. They split costs with editors Dan and Jack Milner for The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues (1955) to accompany Day the World Ended; the double bill was successful. Other ARC releases included the documentary Operation Malaya (1955) and Corman's Gunslinger (1956). When the name "American International Pictures" became available, the company changed from ARC. In the late 1950s, three main production arms operated: Roger Corman, Alex Gordon and Lou Rusoff, and Herman Cohen. Arkoff and Nicholson also bought films from other filmmakers and imported films from outside America.
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